Former president George W. Bush speaks at The 4% Project Conference on April 12, 2011 at Southern Methodist University in Dallas, Texas. (Getty Images)

(Newser)
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Four years ago, the US believed it had a chance to capture or kill Osama bin Laden: Militants would be gathering in the Tora Bora region of Afghanistan for suicide attack training, and there were whispers that bin Laden would attend. A secret raid on the site resulted in the death of dozens of militants—but the al-Qaeda leader wasn't there, the New York Times reports. Senior aides to George Bush describe a scene of intense disappointment at the White House, as the administration saw its last chance to nab bin Laden evaporate. “We thought we had ‘No. 1’ on this side of the border,” in Afghanistan rather than Pakistan, said a US officer. “It was the best intelligence we’d had on him in a long time.”

Intelligence from both Afghans and US Special Ops had pointed to the meeting of Taliban and al-Qaeda figures. But there was dissent among US analysts as to how to address the situation. If bin Laden “had been there, it would have been just luck,” said one. A bombing raid was planned, but when six B-2 Stealth bombers had traveled 1,500 miles toward the region, commanders called the mission off, concerned about civilian casualties and that bin Laden might not be there; the commandos entered instead. Click through for the full story and what Obama learned from it.

@caps I would add: Bush said that he did not know where OBL was and that he did not care. There is a well-known public record on those words. What is not in the public record is that—in my and many others’ view—Bush is so dumb, rigid-minded, and incompetent that he could not pour (pardon the expression) piss out of his cowboy boot if the diections were on the heel.

Snarfeh

May 6, 2011 12:46 PM CDT

lol! Whatever this situation was in 2007, it is now the desperate attempt of the right to act as if they had something to do with killing Osama.

polstroad

May 6, 2011 11:13 AM CDT

the trouble with this post is that it is known about and is old stuff. I am not hear to heap praise or condemn but why look back at what might have been but wasn't when in fact news keeps coming out: examples: down the road from that bin laden compoud another terrorist was caught! example: Pakistan army in the the raid! see http://goodshit.phlap.net"> Here for those stories.